harbinger

a harbinger of things to come

Something that is indicative of what will happen or become popular in the future. I think this trend is a harbinger of things to come, but there's no way to know for sure.

See also: come, harbinger, of, thing, to

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

harbinger of things to come

 and portent of things to come; sign of things to come

a sample of the events that are to occur in the future. The first cuts in our budget are a harbinger of things to come. Today's visit from the auditors is a portent of things to come.

See also: come, harbinger, of, thing, to

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.